Skidder means



April 23, 1963 R. w. LARSON 3,086,666

SKIDDER MEANS Filed Aug. 51, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 5 INVEN TOR. fioberz W Larson April 1963 R. w. LARSON 3,086,666

SKIDDER MEANS Filed Aug. 31, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG! 4 INVENTOR. 27 Robert- M Larson.

ATTORNEY FIG. 5'

United States Patent 3,086,666 SKIDDER MEANS Robert W. Larson, Ely, Minn. (Rte. 1, Ashland, Wis.) Filed Aug. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 53,251 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-855) This invention relates to a skidder and more particularly to a container for transporting logs and the like and adapted to load and unload same.

Pulpwood, or logs are in many instances arranged in large piles or pallets and it is economical to handle the logs as infrequently as possible and without extensive use of hand labor. I have found that my novel skidder means quickly loads, transports, and unloads logs with a minimum of effort and allows the movement of large quantities of wood without excessive handling.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a curved carrier for logs, towable by a tractor or the like, wherein said carrier facilitates the loading, transporting and unloading of the logs.

It is another object of my invention to provide Winch means for actuating a curved carrier to receive or discharge logs.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a curved carrier for logs which is towable and tiltable for loading, transporting and unloading logs from said carrier.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a power driven cable means attachable to a curved carrier, and a tow means also attached to said carrier, wherein said cable means and tow means cooperate for tilting said carrier into load or unload position.

It is another object of my invention to provide a cable means secured to a curved log carrier wherein said cable assists in res-training logs within the carrier from shifting thereabout.

It is an object of my invention to provide a skidder means having a pair of arcuate skid members connected by a curved plate to facilitate loading, transporting and unloading logs therefrom.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein [like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIGURE ;1 is a plan view of my skidder means attached to a tractor;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of my skidder means attached to a tractor;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation showing a cable means in position for tilting said skidder means;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation showing the skidder means in a tilted position for receiving or unloading logs;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of my skidder means in position for receiving a pallet of logs; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation view of my skidder means filled with logs.

With continued reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses a skidder means 10 connected by a tow frame 11 to the universal joint 12 of draw bar 13 secured to tractor 14 (partially shown). Also secured to the tractor 14 is a winch 15 powered by the tractor in a known manner. Cables 16 are wound on winch 15 and extend through a fairlead 17 to clevis 18 Where the cables are pivotally secured. Clevis 18 are pivotally secured to end portions of curved skid members 19.

In the preferred embodiment, skid members 19 are shown arcuate and are formed from steel piping. Supporting plates 26 and 21 are welded to skid members 19 at the inner periphery thereof and support a load plate 22 which is secured to plate with a front curved portion 3,086,666 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 ice 24 thereof secured to skid members 19. Additionally a pipe 23 joins skid members 19 together adjacent the upper edge of the curved portion 24 of load plate 22.

Thus I have described a rigid, skiddable container for logs or the like, wherein the logs are confined and supported within a space defined by the inner curved surface of the skid members extending above the load plate.

For towing the skiddable container, a pair of tow plates 25 are secured to the outer periphery of the skid member 19 below the plane of the load plate 22, and said tow plates are provided with a plurality of openings 26. Tow frame 11 is pivotally mounted in a pair of openings 26, so that connection of tow frame 11 to universal joint 12 allows the skiddable container to be moved along over the ground by tractor 14. The various positions of the openings on tow plates 25 :allows a variety of pivotal mountings for tow frame 11. In the preferred embodiment, I have shown the tow frame 11 connected to the upper openings of tow plates 25. Connection of the tow frame 11 to different tow plate openings will result in tilting skid members 19 so that another portion of the skid members will be in contact with the ground. This, for example, would facilitate an evenness in wear at the bottom of the skid members from continued skidding over the ground, and with the tow frame being pivotally secured variously from one set of tow plate openings to another.

Also secured to each tow plate 25 is a stub axle 27. When the skiddable container is positioned for loading logs, the cables 16 underlie stub axles 27 to allow the pull exerted on cables 16 by the winch to be effective at the stub axles 27. As disclosed in FIG. 3 the winch 15 pays out the cables 16 a spaced distance above axles 27, and the cables are secured to skid members 19 by clevis 18 also a spaced distance above axles 27. Thus any pulling force exerted by winch 15 on cables 16 tends to lift skid members 19 at stub axles 27,, thereby lowering that portion of the skid member where clevis 18 are attached. The tow frame 11 resists forward motion of the skid members but is pivotally secured so that it can follow the portion of skid members 19 which tilt or move upwardly (FIG. 4). The skiddable container 10 is in position for loading as shown in FIG. 5 when the clevis portions of skid members 19 touch the ground and the load plate 22 is in a substantially vertical position in respect to the ground.

In the position disclosed in FIG. 5, the cables 16 are run out until they extend around the logs 28 on pallet 29 in such manner as to allow winch 15, when operated, to pull the logs 28 onto skid members 19, with a support pole 30 falling to the ground through the recessed opening 31 (FIGS. 1 and 5) of plate 22 so that the pole 30 avoids jamming the logs during loading.

As the logs are pulled onto the skid members 19, the tractor 14 is driven forward to tip the skidding means 10 forwardly 25 thereby returning tow frame 11 to a substantially horizontal position (FIG. 6).

The cables 16, by catching under axles 27 as when container 10 is tilted forward, secures the layer of logs within the skiddable container 10. The winch 15 is operated to tighten or loosen the cables 16 as the case may be. The skidding means 10 with the load of logs 28 is then ready for transport. It is also possible to transport the logs on skidding means regardless of the position of cables 16, as long as the winch 15 is not continuously exerting or increasing pulling force on cables 16.

For unloading the logs 28 from skidding means 10, the cables 16 are loosened and placed under the stub axles 27 and under the logs which may extend beyond plate 22. Winch action will pull on cables 16 to tilt the rearward portion of skidding means 10 downwardly (as viewed in the drawings) to cause the logs to tumble by gravity from the skidding means to the ground, river or the like.

proportions of. the parts without departing from the scope.

of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: l. A skidda-ble container for loading, unloading and transporting logs comprising, a pair of curved skidmembers for skidding along a surface, aload plate joining said' pair of skid members, a tow plate mounted on. each said skid member, a tow frame connected to said tow plates for moving said skid members, a c-levis secured to each said skid member for applying a force thereat, a stub axle integral with each said tow plate adapted to overlay a portion of a cable for imparting tilting movement to said skid members, and a cable extending under said stub axles and secured to said clevises, whereby pulling said cable tilts said skid members in a direction opposite the cable pull for loading. or unloading logs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,734 Wheless June 6, 1939 2,409,752 Goodwin Oct. 22, 1946 20 2,529,752 Whittle Nov. 14, 1950' 2. A curved means for supporting a plurality of logs, tow means pivotally secured to said curved means, cable means attached rearwardly on said curved means, a stub axle mounted on said tow means adjacent said pivotal securement, said cable means extending from said curved means and under said stub axle and there beyond, whereby pulling on said cable tilts said curved means in a direction opposite to that of the pulling while said tow means resists forward movement of said curved means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said tow means includes a tow plate secured to said curved means and having a plurality of openings therein for adjust-ably positioning said tow means relative to said curved means.

. v i I: LARA. m- 

1. A SKIDDABLE CONTAINER FOR LOADING, UNLOADING AND TRANSPORTING LOGS COMPRISING, A PAIR OF CURVED SKID MEMBERS FOR SKIDDING ALONG A SURFACE, A LOAD PLATE JOINING SAID PAIR OF SKID MEMBERS, A TOW PLATE MOUNTED ON EACH SAID SKID MEMBER, A TOW FRAME CONNECTED TO SAID TOW PLATES FOR MOVING SAID SKID MEMBERS, A CLEVIS SECURED TO EACH SAID SKID MEMBER FOR APPLYING A FORCE THEREAT, A STUB AXLE INTEGRAL WITH EACH SAID TOW PLATE ADAPTED TO OVERLAY A PORTION OF A CABLE FOR IMPARTING TILTING MOVEMENT TO SAID SKID MEMBERS, AND A CABLE EXTENDING UNDER SAID STUB AXLES AND SECURED TO SAID CLEVISES, WHEREBY PULLING SAID CABLE TILTS SAID SKID MEMBERS IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE THE CABLE PULL FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING LOGS. 